Hello, creative minds and agencies! My name is Ash, and I’m a graphic designer and Design Team Manager at a small marketing agency of 10. I used to believe that strong structure hindered my artistic abilities, but that changed when our agency began using CanTicket, a management software platform designed specifically for agencies. It transformed the way I work and increased my productivity, and job satisfaction, which ultimately enhanced my creative flow.
Here is my honest account about using the management software platform – CanTicket.
When we first transferred to CanTicket, I was somewhat skeptical that it could replace multiple other platforms. At first, I only saw the benefit of the platform from a management perspective. I understood that it would allow us to track the time we spend on each project and update notes on each task for our director to keep up to date. However, I soon realized that the platform was a “whole team” type of platform, and it changed my perception of how I worked.
It soon became notable to me that the need for project leaders to interrupt when I was ‘on a role’ or in the ‘headspace’ of a project considerably reduced and this endowed a feeling of freedom and trust. It also allowed me, as a visual person, to clearly see the recorded time against a project, which could either be justified or help identify that I could manage my time better. This was a biggie for me – I struggle with time management and am very aware of it, but sometimes I was actually shocked! This is when I realized that CanTicket was a ‘whole team’ type of platform; I started looking at how I worked and embraced a real change for the better.
CanTicket was designed specifically for agencies and is an invaluable asset for a manager or owner of one. CanTicket increased my productivity and job satisfaction, and I believe it could benefit any team in the same way by increasing productivity, collaboration, and workplace satisfaction.
Clear direction is essential for every workday. It ensures that all team members know their tasks, collaborates with the project team, and have the necessary information to complete the task at hand. CanTicket assigns staff, departments, and a project lead, which instills accountability, builds comradery in the team and increases productivity.
It is great to feel at the end of a work day that it has been a productive one, particularly when there is a mountain of work to do, and empowering staff with clear direction and a sense of trust increases these types of days to help everyone see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Who doesn’t love the feeling of checking off a box on their to-do list? I have always enjoyed a good list (New Year’s Resolutions, Bucket Lists, Holiday Packing… the lists go on…) but nothing is better than the feeling you get when you accomplish task by task to find you have achieved the final goal!
I have had previous roles where clear tasks and the steps to get there were not outlined and I was known as a bit of a hurricane. No, I am not a mess (I think); I was always stopping mid-way through one task and starting on another if I couldn’t identify the next step or if there was a higher priority task at hand. Without smaller objectives defined and to be able to achieve in the process, I lacked both confidence and motivation to finish projects by a deadline.
CanTicket’s checklist feature keeps me on track, and it’s customizable, allowing me to allocate specific dates and tasks to the most suitable staff member. You can also adjust the order of the checklist tasks to make sure everything is done in the right sequence. And, of course, the most satisfying part is marking it with a green tick when you’re done.
As I mentioned earlier, time management has always been my biggest weakness. With CanTicket’s native time-tracking feature, I feel more aware of it and more in control of each task. It visually shows my productivity and allows me to calculate more accurately how long it should take me to finish a task or the next step. As I am adding update notes while working on a task, it is right in front of me – not out of sight and out of mind, which would usually lead to spending more time than necessary.
When I need a break, I can pause the timer, take a few minutes to stretch, grab some water, or even make another cup of coffee. These “micro-breaks” are scientifically proven to boost productivity, which has improved my creativity and increased my efficiency.
In my personal experience as a creative, bit of a perfectionist, and in an industry that constantly changes (trends, up-skilling, software, etc.). I’m always seeking feedback and collaborative opinions to improve my skills. On occasions that I get stuck questioning something about a design or direction, I find it incredibly valuable to flag the appropriate person or people for feedback on the task. I can then be confident to continue on or start amending to align with the campaign direction or consistency with the brand. Without this collaboration from my team, I find that I can spend a very long time on a very small detail.
CanTicket’s feedback and collaboration feature allows me to flag the appropriate person or people for feedback on the task, which helps me align with the campaign direction or consistency with the brand. For example, if I have completed graphics for a promotional website banner and accompanying email header, I can flag both the developer and email campaign coordinator on the task to start on their assignments that were awaiting the graphics. It also saves me a lot of time spent on a small detail.
Upon logging into my CanTicket account, the uplifting dashboard gives me an updated snapshot of the business, a personal message from our director, my ‘time in’ button (currently in beta testing), and a panel that flags tasks/team members requesting my specific feedback – all like a daily brief page!
I appreciate that while not all apply to me, I am able to see the number of Active Jobs, Completed projects, Overdue tasks, and the High Priorities, all of which these individual panels can be selected to enter the detailed list. This is valuable as it makes for realistic expectations on all team members and outlines clearly the priority tasks. Specifically, to me, I can ensure that I am equally distributing the creative projects and workload in the Design Team and not impressing too much on one staff member, while communicating a clear order of priorities.
Overall, CanTicket has changed the way I work, and I believe it could change the way your team works, too. It’s a “whole team” platform that increases productivity, collaboration, and workplace satisfaction. Trust me, it will change the way you work for the better. Give it a try, and I’m sure you’ll be just as impressed as I am! Who knows, it may just unleash your creative flow, too!